Gate for drawbridges



Patented lune I3, |8199.

,1. P. cowlNG. GATE FR DRAWB'RIDGES.

(Application med Feb. 21, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (N0 Model.)

Patented June I3, |899. J. P. CUWING.

GATE FOB DRAWBRIDGES.

(Application led Feb. 21, 1899.)

2 s hets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

w E N w n llNIrjnn STATES PATENT 'i rrrcnl JOI-IN PHILO. COWING, OFCLEVELAND, OHIO.

GATE FOR DRAWBRIDGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,970, dated June 13, 1899. Application filed February 2l, 1899. Serial No. 706,820. (Nomodal.)

To LZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOI-IN PIIILo. CowINe, of Cleveland, in the countyof Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Gates for Drawbridges, of which the following is a full,clear, and eX- act description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved gate moreespecially de-V signed for use on draw or swing bridges and arranged tobe automatically closed and locked immediately previous t-o starting thebridge for opening the same and to automatically open the gate shortlyafter the bridge is closed.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out inthe claims.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure l is a side elevation of the improvement as applied, with partsin section. Fig. 2 is a reduced transverse sectionof the same with thegate in a closed position. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional sideelevation of the gate-post and its bearing, and Fig. 4 is an en-l largedsectional plan View of the same on the line 4 t in Fig. 3.

The gate A illustrated in the drawings is provided with aroadway-section A for extending over the whole or half of the roadway Bto close the same and a sidewalksection 'A2, adapted to extend over thesidewalk O, a weight A3 being on the outer end of thesection A2 forcounterbalancing the longer roadway-section A.

The gate A between the sections A and A2 is secured on a shaft D,mounted to turn and to slide in a bearing E, attached to the sidewalk C,and the lower end of this shaft is set in a step F, pivotally connectedat its lower end by a link G with a lever H, fulorumed at H on a masonrypier or abutment I, the lever being operated in one direction by asuitable mechanism carried by the draw or swing bridge J, as is plainlyshown in Fig. 1, the said mechanism operating by means of jacks,latches, rail splices, lifts, or other devices forming part of thedrawbridge mechanism,

so that the lever Il is actuated immediately previous to opening thedrawbridge or immediately after the drawbridge is closed, asl1ereinafter more fully described.

The bearing E carries a friction-roller E', engaging a spiral groove D',formed in the shaft D, so that when the lever H is swung in thedirection of the arrow a', as shown in Fig. l, then the link G and thestep F, in which the lowerend of the shaftD is mounted, are caused tomove downward to allow the weight of the gate A to move the shaft D inthe same direction by the gravity of the gate, and in doing so a turningmotion is 'given to the gate, owing to the shaft turning, by the spiralgroove D traveling on the roller E. The gate A then swings into a closedposition, as shown in Fig. 2, and a post A4on the outer end of thesection A drops into a keeper N, arranged in the roadway, to lock thegate against accident-al opening. The other section A2 swings across thesidewalk C, so `that both the roadway B and the sidewalk are closed totraffic and passengers.

The groove D terminates at the bottom and top in straight verticalvportions D2 and D3, so that the gate moves vertically before it beginsto swing or comes toa rest, and when the upper end D8 of the grooveengages the roller E then an additional locking of the gate takes place,as the shaft D cannot now turn.

In a like manner the shaft D cannot turn when the friction-roller is inthe lower end D2 of the groove, and consequently the gate stands in anopen position and does not commence to swing until shortly after aswinging motion is given to the lever H.

It is understood that when the lever H is caused to swing in the inversedirection of the arrow a then the link Gr and the step F move upward andlift the shaft, so that the gate is first lifted straight up to removethe post A4 out of the keeper N, and then the gate is turned by theaction of the roller E and groove D' in the shaft D to swing the gateback into an open position, and then the gate is lowered straight downfor the post A4 to engage another keeper N, and the roadway B, as wellas the sidewalk C,is then again opened to traffic. It is furtherunderstood that when the gate A is in a closed position, as shown inFig. 2, the roller E is in the upper end D3 IOO of the spiral groove,and when the gate is opened said roller is in the lower end D2 of thegroove.

The lever H extends with its free end into the path of the toggle-head Kof a toggle jackscrew mechanism carried by the draw or swing bridge J,and the said toggle-head K is mounted to slide in vertical guideways K',carried on the bridge belon7 the tloorin g, and the head is connectedwith an upwardly-extending toggle-link K2, pivotedon a toggle-link K3,fulcrumed at its upper end on the bridge-frame, and the two links arepivotally connected by a toggle KLi with a nut K5, tted to slide inhorizontal guideways K, xed to the bridge. In the nut K5screwsajack-screw K7, mounted to turn in bearings K8, fixed to the bridge, andon the screwis secured a beveled pinion L in mesh with a beveled pinionL on the lower end of a vertical shaft L2, connected at its upper end bybeveled gear-wheels LB and L4 with a transverse shaft L5, driven from asuitable motor or engine which is usually placed over the center of thebridge, and a clutch is arranged in the connection between the motor andthe shaft L5.

The mechanism above described is usually employed on draw and swingbridges and serves to close the toggle and bring the togglehead K inengagement with the base-casting I at the time the bridge is moved intoa closed position to properly support the ends of the bridge from thesolid masonry pier or abutment I. I When it is vdesired to open thebridge, the motor is reversed to open the toggle and move the head Kupward out of engagement with the base-casting I to free the ends of thebridge and to then permit of swinging the bridge into an open position.The free end of the lever H extends into the path of the head K, so thatwhen the head moves downward it moves in contact with the said lever endand imparts a swinging motion to the lever in the inverse direction ofthe arrow a until the free end of the lever rests in a recess in thebase-casting I and the togglehead K engages the said casting in theusual manner and for the purpose above described. When the head K slidesupward previous to opening the bridge, the lever H by its own weight andthat of the link G, shaft D, and gate 'A is caused to swing in thedirection of the arrow a to bringthe free end of the lever into anuppermost position for engagement by the head K on its next downwardmovement. Thus the lever H is actuated immediately previous to openingthe bridge or immediately after the bridge is closed. It is understoodthat usually two such jack-screw mechanisms are on each end of the 'bridge to operate two levers H for two gates simultaneously. I have shownand described one form of jack-screw mechanism used for supporting theends of the bridge on the pier and for actuating the lever H 5 but it isevident that other constructions may be employed to accomplish the sameend. For instance,

some bridges are provided with wedges screwing under each corner of thebridge, and other jack-screws consist of a cam arrangement which whenthrown into position Wedges up the ends of the bridge. The gate can alsobe operated by the mechanisms of rail locks or lifts, sometimes used onswing-bridges to connect and disconnect railroad rails on bridges whererails are used. The gate can also be actuated from a latch devicefrequently employed on swing-briges to latch the bridge in position,and, if desired, the gate may be operated by an independent mechanism toforce down the free end of the lever H. It is understood that in eithercase 'the gate is operated automatically upon releasing the lever H, andthe gate is specially intended to be closed and locked across theroadway before the bridge commences to swing into an open position andis not to be opened until after the bridge is again closed and the leverdepressed at its free end.

vAs shown in the drawings, a counterbalanced gate for both the roadwayand sidewalk is provided; but it is evident that the improvement can beused on gates of different construction and arranged for differentpurposes.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. A bridge-gate comprising a gate proper, a shaftcarrying the gate and mounted to slide and to turn, and mechanismoperating IOO in conjunction with the opening and closing l of thebridge, to` impart an upward sliding Vmotion to the said shaft after theclosing movement of the bridge is completed, to cause the shaft to turnin its bearing and move the gate into an open position, the shaft whenreleased by the said mechanism sliding and turning back to its formerposition by its own gravity, to move the gate across the roadway andclose the same prior to the opening movement of the bridge,substantially as shown and described.

2. In a drawbridge-gate, the combination'of a shaft mounted to slide andto turn, a gate carried by the shaft, a pivoted lever, a connectionbetween the shaft and lever, and

mechanism on the bridge for automatically operating the said lever priorto the opening movement of the bridge and after the closing movementthereof is completed, substantially as described.

3. In a drawbridge-gate, the combination of a bearin g provided with aninwardly-extending projection, a shaft mounted in the bearing andprovided with a spiral groove termihating at its ends in straightvertical portions and in which works the projection of the bearing, agate carried by the shaft, a step in which is set the lower end of theshaft, a pivoted lever, a link connecting the step with one end of thelever, and means for operating the' lever from a drawbridge,substantially as described.

IIO

l. ln a drawbridge, the combination of a shaft mounted to slide andturn, a gate carried by the shaft, a step receiving the lower end of theshaft, a pivoted lever having one end exv tending into the path of amovable part of a draWbridge-operating mechanism, and a link connectingthe other end of the lever with the step, substantially as described.

5. A bridge-gate7 comprising a gate having a shaft mounted to turn andto slide in fixed bearings, a spiral groove in said shaft, said groovehaving straight vertical end portions, a friction-roller journaled insaid bearing and engaging said groove, means for imparting a slidingmotion to said shaft from the operating mechanism of the drawbridge, anda xed keeper adapted to be engaged by a post on the gate, to lock thegate in a closed posi tion, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination with a toggle-head of a toggle jack-screw mechanismfor operating a drawbridge, of a shaft mounted to slide and turn, a gatecarried by the shaft, a step reoeiving the lower end of the shaft, alever having one end extending beneath the said toggle-head, and a linksecured to the other end of the lever and to the step, substantially asdescribed.

JOHN PHILO. COWINIG. Vitnesses:

A. EBERHARD, A. H. PORTER.

